Cablegate: Chavez Gives Iranian Leader Warm Welcome; Signs More

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL IR VE KISL
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ GIVES IRANIAN LEADER WARM WELCOME; SIGNS MORE
AGREEMENTS

1. (SBU) Summary: President Hugo Chavez provided a warm
welcome to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his
November 24-26 visit to Venezuela, declaring he and his Iranian
counterpart were , "together to the end." The Iranian's visit
attracted small protests from student, Venezuelan Jewish and
opposition groups. Local political pundits have questioned the
benefits of such close relations, noting that the nearly 300
agreements with Iran have yielded very little in Venezuela. During
a signing ceremony of an additional 12 agreements, Chavez mocked
Department spokesman Ian Kelly's comments regarding Iran's nuclear
program, support for terrorism and human rights. End Summary.

2. (SBU) Following his cordial visit in Bolivia, Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez gave Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a
warm welcome during his two day visit to Caracas. Chavez called
Ahmadinejad an "anti-imperialist gladiator," and a "valiant
brother." The Iranian leader returned the compliment, declaring he
felt "at home with brothers" when visiting "his revolutionary
friends" in Venezuela. The Iranian Embassy and two Caracas hotels
hosting the delegation were the sites of small protests by
political parties, student and Jewish groups. Maribel Castillo,
Secretary General of the Patria Para Todos party, told the press,
"on the International Day of Elimination of Violence Against
Women...the government hosts the leader of a country where women
are stoned to death."

3. (SBU) Using a satellite link to San Carlos in the central
state of Cojedes, the two Presidents inaugurated an Iranian built
public housing project. According to press reports, behind the
scenes, a 70-man business delegation worked to find investment
opportunities in agriculture, energy, trade and basic industries.
The newspaper Tal Cual, in a front page editorial, noted that only
400 of 10,000 homes announced in 2007 had been built by Iran, a
mere 5,000 of the expected 100,000 bicycles were built in 2008, and
less than a third of the 2008 goal of 16,000 joint
Iranian-Venezuelan automobiles had been assembled. Similarly,
planned oil refineries, aircraft plants and explosives factories
only exist on paper. Tal Cual assured readers not to worry about
nuclear power in Venezuela and that the "aspiring autocrat and
Persian satrap" were merely making noises.

4. (SBU) During a November 26 signing ceremony for an
additional 12 agreements on energy and infrastructure, Chavez
mocked Department spokesman Ian Kelly's November 25 comments
regarding Iran and the concerns of the international community
regarding nuclear weapons, terrorism and human rights: "The world
is worried about the United States violating human rights."
Referring to Posada Carilles, Chavez asked, "Why doesn't the Obama
administration extradite this continent's father of terrorists?"
DUDDY

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